One Habit at a Time – Eliminate Phantom Loads

The Phantom of the Power Grid is here! According to www.standby.lbl.gov/index.html:

A surprisingly large number of electrical products — from air conditioners to VCRs — cannot be switched off completely without being unplugged. These products draw power 24 hours a day, often without the knowledge of the consumer. We call this power consumption "standby power." [NOTE: Others call it “phantom loads” or “leaking electricity”] …Current estimates indicate that standby power use in the U.S. accounts for about 5% of residential electricity use.

Garlic alone will not combat these vampires, but here are some steps that will help (thanks to www.coopamerica.org ):

Turn Off Your Electronics:  If you’re going to be away from your computer, TV or game console for more than an hour, turn it off. Some people mistakenly think it takes a giant burst of energy to power up these devices, so they leave these electronics on continuously. Even on an “energy-saver” setting, or while running a “screen saver”, these products waste much more energy than when they’re turned completely off. And, unless you really need the internal clock or memory…

Eliminate "Phantom Load": Many electronics use electricity even when they’re turned off—so your best bet is to unplug them when they’re not in use. Consider plugging them into one power strip and switching off the whole strip to eliminate phantom load. TVs, DVD players, computers, printers, and cell phone chargers are just some of the devices that leak power even when they aren’t on—in fact, a quarter of the energy used by your TV each year is consumed when the TV is off.

www.doe.gov/applianceselectronics.htm estimates that in a typical U.S. home, appliances and home electronics (including battery chargers) are responsible for about 20% of energy bills, and that 75% of that electricity is used to power products while they are turned off. They have lots of electricity-saving tips, such as buying a laptop for your next computer upgrade, buying LCD rather than plasma screens for digital TVs, looking for the ENERGY STAR® label on any upgrade to home appliances or electronics, and activating any power management features in your electronic devices.

“Take back the night” from these phantom energy-wasters!

First Presbyterian Church of Palo Alto
www.fprespa.org/coolplanet
July, 2008